Disclaimer: The characters are mine! Been with
me in one form or another since my little brain could think of a story. Be gentle
as this is my first posting anywhere, although I've been writing for an eternity
(well seems that way to me anyway).Violence/Sex:Got slaves, so got both. Sexual violence of an m/f variety
here. Also a loving (sort of) consensual f/f relationship. If your too young
to vote, you should probably go elsewhere.Feedback:Thank you to the people who have sent me feedback, more would
be greatly appreciated. All of those who do e-mail me will become a piece of
my disertation (you'll be famous for five seconds at Brunel University, London!).
Send all opinions, good and bad to; maderlin@yahoo.com

The dark girl propped her head up on her elbow and
looked down at the peaceful face of her friend. The sun was high and the rays
danced off the surface of the water and made dappled patterns of the other child's
face as they struggled through the canopy of leaves. The lights hid the brown
and green bruise marking the right side of the small face like camouflage. The
darker child gleefully pinched the snub nose of the other girl closed. With
a wheeze and a splutter the reclining girl opened green eyes and glared upwards.

"I'm just fooling with you Chess. I want to be our
PA." A big smile followed her words.

"What's a PA do?"

"I dunno but your dad's gets to spend loads of time
with him."

"Cool!" The dark haired girl laid back down.

"Hay, what about you?"

"I'm going to be a star!"

**********

The pulsing beat of the music filled
the room, bouncing off the walls and feeding on itself. Francesca immersed herself
in the music, feeling it travel through her body as she watched her choreographer
intently. She began to sway and writhe to the music, soon the bodies of the
dancers became a blur of synchronised motion. The two tall bodies, one blond
the other brunette, moved with a feline grace under the watchful eye of the
tiger at the back of the room, seemingly performing for an audience of one.

After hours of almost ceaseless
activity both bodies shone with sweat and glowed with vitality. Clapping from
the open French doors of the gymnasium drew both athletes attention and caused
them both to smile a quick greeting to Rodrigo Prince before falling back into
step. As the music began to slow the lithe blond man called the session to an
end, his wide smile and shinning eyes letting his student know that her performance
was excellent. Rodrigo walked towards them in time to catch the end of the choreographers
words.

"...fantastic today. Your fitness
level is way up, the routines in the videos for the new album should be the
sharpest yet. How did you manage to get even fitter." He playfully nudged.

"I have to admit that I've been
watching how our new bodyguards train and I've been adapting it to my own needs."
Francesca looked inordinately pleased with herself over this little revelation.

"Well just keep doing what your
doing. Nice to see you again Rod." He shook the bigger mans hand. He looked
towards the lone figure in the corner, intent on every move that affected the
woman beside him, and nodded in acknowledgement. It was not returned. "I'll
see you in a couple of days Fran."

"See you Thursday Daniel." The
dancers moved to opposite sides of the room and entered their respective shower
rooms. Hunter followed her mistress while Rodrigo made his way towards one of
the garden's many benches to wait for his sister.

Moments later he watched Daniel
exit the building and waved to the man as he made his way to the path that would
take him the front of the house. He relaxed back into the wood and stretched
his legs out on the grass. His arms spread across the back of the bench on either
side, fingers idly tapping the wood as he waited less than patiently for his
sister. He had always been the type of child who would fidget, and although
now a grown man he still could never sit totally still.

Ten minutes passed before Francesca walked from the building
into the vibrant sunlight. She smiled as she saw the sprawling form of her big
brother, the faint breeze ruffling his dark hair. The smile that he caste her
way was dazzling and not for the first time she understood why so many women
fell for him, and why so many foolishly married him. He was already well on
his way to ending his second marriage and yet still seemed as carefree as when
he was an adolescent. She envied that, but did not begrudge her brother his
lifestyle, she loved him too much for that. As she sat next to her brother,
with his arm around her shoulders she felt loved and secure.

Hunter moved away from the reclining couple. She stood
behind them, close enough to still protect her ward, but not within hearing
range of a private discussion. She was becoming more at one with her role as
a guardian, and realised that the free required more privacy than the indentured.
From her vantage she had a perfect view of any potential routes of attack, the
pair would be safe.

"Well I thought I better check, you weren't exactly too
pleased to see me and Nate after that wacko called." Before Francesca could
interrupt he placed his fingers over her lips. "I know you were pissed off that
we went behind your back, but we really didn't choose Dick-Head Dougie over
you. You have to believe that we love you. Hell, your the only stable female
relationship that I have ever had!" He tightened is hold around her shoulders
and she smiled softly up at him.

"I know Ro, but I was so upset."

"You had anymore threats? Dad hasn't said anything but
it's been over three weeks since that last call." His usualy animated face was
sober.

"Nothing, and that makes me more afraid than the threats.
It's so ominous, it makes me feel constantly on edge. I should have apologised
to you and Nate because the slaves are a godsend. At least I know that the children
are safe." Her voice bagan to falter and Rodrigo realised it was time to move
away from talk of the stalker.

"How are things going between you and your guard?" He
had been concerned with Francesca's obvious distaste about the slaves, and especially
the great warrior that they had chosen for her.

She lowered her voice further to ensure that Hunter could
not possibly hear her. "I gave her a chance, like Papa said I should. I wish
I could say it was because I was a bigger person and put aside my prejudice,
but I'd be lying. A few days before...that phone call...I saw her playing with
the children. She was so gentle and patient with them. I've tried to make our
relationship better. I don't know if it's working, she's just so reticent."
A soft sigh punctuated this statement.

"What have you tried?" He was really interested in his
sisters change of heart.

"I turned off the vocal inhibitor the day after I watched
her and the children. I thought that it might make her interact with me."

"And? What did she say?"

"That's just it, she hasn't said a word. She still signs
to the other guards. I don't think that the remote works. I feel really bad
about it, she'll be a mute forever because of what they did to her." She raised
her hand and rubbed her temples to forestall the start of one of her regular
headaches. "I guess I stopped thinking of her as an animal."

"That's a good thing Fran, trust me, thing will get better.
It only been four months and maybe she's still feeling displaced." He grew concerned
as he noticed the paler of his sisters skin as the exercise induced blush receded.
"Fran, are you alright, you look a little sick?"

"It's nothing. I think I just worked too hard. Met any
nice girls lately?"

**********

Wolf walked through the gate to the slaves stable and
found himself confronted by the grim faces of Savage and Polar. They were huddled
in the doorway to the living room, apparently trying to look in without loosing
a limb. Wolf was amused by the spectacle, and was about to ask what was going
on when a loud crashing sound came from the sleeping quarters, drawing even
his attention through the door. He turned back to the other two men, he needed
answers. A slave going berserk could be punished with death.

"What the hell is going on?" His voice was low and controlled.

"She has gone off the deep end, that's what's going on!
I told all of you that this would happen, she's a fuckin' psycho! Nobody listens
to me!" Savage said with smug certainty.

"Thanks for the psychological profile. Now any idea why
she's gone nuts?" Exasperation was clear in his voice.

"Hello? That's why she's a psycho, she doesn't need a
motive!"

"You haven't asked her have you?" Wolf folded his arms
across his chest and glared at his two comrades. Polar squirmed under his stare.

"We were going to ask her what was wrong when she came
in, looking sort of down. But...um...she started to throw her stuff in a sack,
and get really twitchy. Before we could really talk she was throwing stuff around
and we ran for it." The big man looked like a frightened little boy.

"Thanks Polar. You two stay out here, I'll go and see
what is going on." He composed himself and strode resolutely towards the closed
door of the sleeping rooms.

Inside the room was in disarray, the beds stripped and
overturned, the table smashed into splinters. Hunter stood with her back to
the door visibly shaking with rage. He walked towards her slowly and stopped
several feet away, not wanting to be close enough for her to strike.

"What's wrong, Hunter?"

She took a deep, noisy breath and turned to face her
friend. Her face was stony and her body rigid, lines of stress creased her brow.
Wolf at first thought that no explanation would be forthcoming as her hands
continued to clench and unclench by her sides. Her hands shook with emotion
as she began to gesture towards her brother in arms.

"I thought I was getting somewhere." The gestures were
sharp and fast, almost frenzied.

"Somewhere?" He was honestly confused.

"With the 'Princess'!" She began to pace as she gestured,
making it increasingly difficult for Wolf to understand what she was signing.

"What has she done?"

"I am no longer allowed to sleep here. Now she wants
me to sleep in one of the walk-in closets in her room! What am I, some sort
of animal!"

"You could look at it that way, Hunter." Wolf tried to
quell her ire. "Maybe she's trying to show you that she feels safe with you.
She wants you around more."

"Look, this means I won't get to see any of you off duty!"

"You don't exactly see us now, you just sleep in our
presence," he reasoned.

She had began to calm as she mulled over the tall man's
words. "I see your point. Trust me I won't go off at a freeman again, I remember
too well what happened last time." She walked towards her bag, which only contained
the clothes that she worked in, and hoisted it to her shoulder. She walked from
the room and the stable without a backward glance for the three men. Brushing
past Snake as he walked into the compound.

"I left him in the nursery with the children, Grizzly
and Meg are there to watch him. I thought I better come and get when you were
so late."

"Cool, see ya!"

The bald headed man walked into the living area to find
Wolf talking to Polar, whose face was troubled. He sat down with the pair, around
the large dinning table. "You two going to tell me what happened earlier."

"Hunters upset," volunteered Polar.

"I thought I heard her cry out in her sleep," Snake was
thoughtful.

"You heard what?!"

"Oh, you didn't know? What's she pissed off about then?"

The rest of the table sat in stunned silence.

********

The drunken figure lurched down the hallway muttering
obscenities. It was closely followed by a weasel faced man wearing a smirk.
The duo made their way slowly towards one of the plush bed-chambers of the estate
where the drunk could sleep it off. The more alert of the two reached the door
first and opened it, ushering the other man in. As he was about to follow, he
found himself pushed back into the corridor and ordered to stand guard and let
no-one in. Savage turned his back to the closing door, slumping against it when
it clicked shut.

Douglas leaned against the wall, his head pounding. He
was angry. No, he was beyond angry. He was furious! How dare his own wife go
behind his back at a time like this! She was supposed to run everything past
him, he was meant to know her whereabouts at all times! She had no right to
put herself in the line of fire, she was his. Even with that thing to protect
her she was still vulnerable.

His irrational thoughts began to grow and build until
he found himself in a frenzy, he needed to vent his anger on something. Or someone.
His eyes fell on the door leading to his wife's room. He smiled sadistically
as he lurched towards it. He fell back on his favourite way to vent his displeasure
at his spouse. He took a deep breath as he reached the door, trying to steady
himself. He quietly pushed the door inwards.

He padded softly across the carpet without creating a
sound on the deep, plush carpeting. He could see her, laying in a pool of moonlight
in the centre of the bed. She had her face turned to the window, with it's partially
opened curtains. The rest of her was shielded by a thin red sheet that rose
and fell with her breath as she laid on her stomach, blissfully unaware.

A new wave of anger crashed over Douglas as he watched
her peaceful form. He lost the last of his self control as he stood touching
the side of the bed and leapt on the still body. Terrified blue eyes snapped
open as he began to rain heavy blows down over her back. She could feel her
kidneys taking the brunt of the attack. As he began to snarl abuse at her she
realised the identity of her attacker and fear turned to resignation.

Douglas suddenly found himself ripped from his wife's
body and hurtling across the room, only coming to a stop when he hit the wall.
He sat, for a moment, dazed by the sudden turn of events. Head spinning from
a combination of too much alcohol and the blow to the head, it took him several
minutes to realise the nature of his wife's protector. Before him, looking like
some sort of avenging angel, stood Hunter. Clad in only a white vest and boxer
shorts, touched on only one side by the moonlight the other in relief she struck
fear into his heart. Until he remembered who he was.

"You'll pay for that, Slave! What is she doing here at
this Francesca, she should be in the stables." His voice was commanding and
hard as he dragged himself from the carpets embrace. "Well, answer me!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than he found himself
pressed to the wall by the throat. He couldn't struggle, so powerful was the
body that he now found crushing him. She was so close that he could feel the
growl as it emanated from her chest. The warriors eyes were cold, dead, as she
stared at him. He felt a cold sweat form on his top lip as he saw that look,
totally void of emotion. She glanced away from him for a second, much to his
relief, to look at the huddled figure at the head of the bed. Her gaze almost
immediately fell back to him. A new look fills her unnatural eyes, this time
it is rage. Douglas' mouth takes over from his brain as he tries to save himself.

"I can have you killed for this! You won't get away with
killing your master again! Put me down and I mightonly let them send
you to a research institute, it's the best you could hope for!" Her grip lessened
for just a moment before she tightened it to almost choking intensity and replied
to his threats.

"Youare not my master!" The his was quiet but
dripped with loathing. "Francesca Prince owns me. I am ordered to protect her
from all harm. You have tried to damage her. Get out and I won't kill
you." She pushed his trembling form to the connecting door. "Try it again
and I'll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it!" He bolted from the
room upon hearing her final words.

The rigid form of the bodyguard moved to the hastily
closed door and locked it from the inside to prevent his re-entry. As she turned
to walk back into her new sleeping quarters she caught the eye of the woman
on the bed. Her face was pale and her eyes were red as she looked at Hunter
with gratitude and respect for the first time. The compact fighter could also
see surprise on her mistresses face and could easily tell why.

"Formica is the secret of the universe." She said this
with a totally straight face as she walked to the huge closet.

"What?" Came the stunned response.

"That's what I have to say. Hope it was worth letting
me talk." She disappeared behind the sliding door of the cupboard.

Francesca sat for a while, bemused. She smiled as she
realised that, in her own way, Hunter had both been trying to be funny and say
thank you. The smile slipped as the events of the past ten minutes overwhelmed
her as her mind tried to process that fact that she had been saved from her
husbands whim. She had never thought that he would get so physical in her parents
house, he had truly sunk to new depths. Suddenly the idea of having a bodyguard
sleeping in her room seemed like her best idea in a long time.

**********

Sweat poured off of the body standing in the hazy morning
sunlight. The rays seemed to caress the toned skin, highlighting muscles and
the fine blond hair covering corded forearms. The black tattoos, clearly visible
from under the sleeveless t-shirt, seemed to absorb the light and writhe above
the muscles like living things. Francesca found herself transfixed by the athletic
movements of the slave. She had just finished her combat exercises and walked
towards the bench-press.

Francesca had cut short her own programme when she became
too distracted by the other women. She watched her now as she laid down on the
leather surface and positioned herself under the bar. One of the other slaves
was their to spot for her, Francesca couldn't tell who it was or how much was
being lifted, she was focused solely on the warrior. She stared as the motion
of her arms made the muscles almost seem to slide as the bar went up and then
bunch as the bar came down. Her eyes roamed the body and saw the stomach muscles
clench through the translucent, sweat covered shirt.

A single bead of sweat broke away from her hairline and
began to travel away from the slick hair. It moved across her temple and found
itself captured by a thin scar on her cheek, creating a path for it down to
her jaw. As it reached the end of it's journey it fell from the clenched jaw
and shattered on the bench.

**********

"Why are you so skinny? You eat more than my Papa's
horse!" The chubby girl stormed.

"I dunno. I guess I run around a lot." The other girl
just shrugged.

"So do I!" She was feeling indignant now.

"You'll get skinny when you get older. We're only
little. Anyway, your pretty and smart, do I have to be skinny and sporty!" This
came with a charming smile.